Last month, Carmelo Anthony posted a picture of himself on Instagram sipping a glass of red wine, looking as if he was living his best life. Hours after a three-team trade that sent Anthony to the Atlanta Hawks became official, he sounded like someone who had gone through the multiple stages of grief and had finally landed at acceptance.
I had to get over that. I had a conversation with my wife and family. You have to do what you have to do. All signs point toward Anthony signing with the Houston Rockets, which presents Anthony with one of the most intriguing opportunities of his career. I think everything is trying to get cleared right now. Melo is at a fascinating crossroads. He is 34 years old and coming off arguably his worst season, with career lows in overall field goal percentage and 3-point shooting.
Now the player who has had a reputation for only caring about his money and his touches could be playing for a team that will be considered a championship contender. Forget about Hoodie Melo or Olympic Melo. We might meet Pissed Off Melo, should he go to Houston. That becomes your story. They were ousted by a feisty Utah Jazz team in the first round of the playoffs.
And while Westbrook was peppered with his customary criticism, Melo was who everyone pointed to as the real problem. At times I had to figure it out on my own, rather than somebody over there or people over there helping me.
Anthony is adamant that falling below expectations and the awkwardness of their union never created any issues among him, George and Westbrook. We sat down every single game and talked. Before games, we talked. Our relationship went deeper than anybody would ever know. And at the end of the day, the people who really matter know my capabilities and what I can still do.
